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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26320609">Penny Wise and Pound Foolish</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account'>orphan_account</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Branwen Series [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Diabolik Lovers</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Everyone Has Issues, F/F, F/M, Feral Behavior, Major Original Character(s), Metafiction, POV Alternating, branwen company in the limelight, but dear god is it fun to see from the outside as well, everyone is a little crazy but especially OC, karl heinz has to face a known menace, oc is ax crazy, original character is a feral mess, solely because no one could comprehend oc's world outside of oc for its sheer level of chaos, universe breaking, yui is a lowkey yandere</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 11:49:23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>6,679</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26320609</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Sequel to Transparent Woes, Yui is an ordinary girl (or believes she is) who is caught in an entirely non-ordinary situation full of vampires, twisted experiments, and a supernatural business that intends to correct the story to follow its initial narrative. At least, that's what the mystery shape-shifting person forcing her way into the narrative is saying. Yui has no idea what is going on, but she cannot deny this is the most fun she has had in her entire life.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Komori Yui &amp; Original Character(s), Komori Yui/Sakamaki Ayato, Sakamaki Reiji/Original Female Character(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Branwen Series [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1911685</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>31</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. The Elusive Case of the Genderless Blue-Eyed Menace</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>For those of you that are here from Transparent Woes, you may recognise the OC from this story. I hope you all enjoy the chaos that shall ensue.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Yui was a naturally shy person, though not so much that people would say she was a wallflower. If she were to blame anything, she would say it was because of her upbringing as her father was extremely strict; not cruel, but he was quite sincere in being sure that she did not get involved in the wrong crowd, the wrong music, or wrong hobbies. She would have called it stifling, but she did not have many friends that would tell her otherwise. She was embarrassed that she did not have many close friends, had never been to a sleepover, and most of the people she talked to were in the same church as her.</p><p>She had decided she was rather content despite this. She was never particularly tired of scriptures, and she enjoyed being a part of the church choir. The folk that came to the church were very friendly, she would have tea and cakes with them, and she never had a great deal of distress pressed upon her. She wanted to be a nursery teacher if she could not find a job at the church.</p><p>Halfway through the school year her world was ordinary. It was a Wednesday and the class were just starting when Miss Takoma was interrupted by a knocking at the door. Yui could not see who was there from her angle, but she felt a distinct… offness in that moment. Like something had shifted, and she shifted awkwardly in her seat at the unusual tingling sensation that ran up her body.</p><p>When they did come through, she was startled. First to come through was the principal. To his right, hidden from view, was someone else.</p><p>“Hello Miss Takoma, sorry to interrupt just as class is about to start, but this is the new student I was referring to yesterday.” Miss Takoma seemed to hesitate before clarity showed in her eyes and she nodded.</p><p>“Ah, yes, the foreign student. Uh… Mr…”</p><p>“Maverick. Maverick Wilder.” It sounded like a mouthful in Yui’s mind. Maverick’s voice had a very slight lilt, not overly deep or too high; enough to be questionable in gender. She leaned forward slightly, wanting to see the foreign student. She had never seen a foreigner before. At least, not in real life.</p><p>“Oh, well, that’s going to-,”</p><p>“You can call me Mave if it’s too difficult for you.” He responded in the same level tone. “Or Rick. Or Wild. Whichever works.” She could hear the shrug in his voice.</p><p>Everyone was whispering eager for the principal to move out of the way to get a look at the foreign student. Eventually, he did, allowing Maverick to settle.</p><p>She doubted he needed to do such a thing, he seemed entirely relaxed the moment he stepped into the classroom with rested eyes and a lazy half smile on his face.</p><p>He had a healthy tan, freckles dotting directly under his eyes. In the uniform he looked sharp with a well-cut jawline and fine cheekbones. His hair was a dark brown, brushed up neatly into a slight coif. She noticed his eyes after spotting all these features. He had intensely blue eyes, bright enough that they seemed like glowing gems in his skull. She was stunned, they were the most beautiful eyes she had ever seen, and she had many varieties of eyes in her time. Her own set of eyes were exceptionally unique, and she took a smug sense of joy in them.</p><p>He was watching her, and she jolted, flustered at having been spotted. She pretended to look over her textbooks as he was told to find a seat. She listened to people’s whispering and listened to the sound of his footsteps as he made his way steadily through the classroom. When she glanced to her left, she could see that his shoes were shining. They looked expensive. It was after a few seconds that she realised that he was pulling up the chair next to her desk. Ah. She forgot that the desk next to her was empty.</p><p>If she had more experience with people and was not so shy, she would have willed herself to talk to him, but class was starting, and the teacher was talking. She only vaguely noticed how he did not take any notes, hands clasped under his chin and watching the teacher.</p><p>This was how most classes went. He was not stupid, she noted, because when any question was asked of him, he knew the answer and gave it in detail with added commentary. When it came to history, he was especially brutal in his criticism and she found herself half-startled by his vicious cutting remarks. She assumed it was because he was a foreigner, and the history class went on with most of it being a vivid and brutal debate between Maverick and the teacher on Japan’s actions during world war two. If it had not been his first day, Yui thought he would be reported, but she could see a smile on Mr Fukuoka’s face as the rest of class was allowed to go to lunch whereas Maverick ended up staying behind the entire time. When they returned for the next class they were still talking, and the blackboard was covered in notes with Maverick and Mr Fukuoka surrounded by coffee cups discussing the importance of a stable economy.</p><p>For the next three days Maverick continued to leave such an impression. Intense was how she would describe it. A lot of the girls had a crush on him. He was friendly, passionate, and she saw that he had dimples when he smiled. He liked to hear people talk. She would not deny she quite liked him too, flustered every time he looked her way, which she was certain was often. Or maybe she was imagining it because of her increased crush.</p><p>She did not tell her father. He was the protective sort and would worry about his criticism. He might try to scare Maverick in his protective manner and while part of her imagined that he might startle Maverick like the other boys she had liked, the other part suspected that Maverick would grin in his unfriendly manner, more like a very friendly snarl, and would cause her more problems by being himself.</p><p>No, she kept her mouth shut on the matter while she ate dinner. She had only mentioned him once as the foreign student that had moved in and she could feel her father frowning. Perhaps he already worried she would talk to him. He did not seem to like her talking to boys at all, and it had not bothered her before, but she was seventeen and had never even kissed a boy before. She had not even held hands with one. It drew a pout from her.</p><p>On the fourth day, he was talking directly to her. It had stunned her, like most things regarding Maverick, when she saw him come over, sitting cross-legged on the desk directly in front of her with one of his mischievous grins.</p><p>“I heard that you are the priest’s daughter. Is it true that they prohibit you from dating to ensure that the secret engaged marriages run through, or is that another conspiracy theory meant to encourage misbehaviour against the church?”</p><p>She was gaping, floundering for an answer. Of course, there is not a secret engaged marriage, she said. He responded cheekily with a ‘how would you know it’s a secret’. Fifteen minutes later they were talking about the politics of the church and various sects that were, in Maverick’s opinion, more suited for cults and she agreed. She did not agree so intensely with the fact that all organised religion was a cult in some form.</p><p>“Hey, if you want to be in a cult that’s perfectly fine, but I personally quite enjoy when someone tries to indoctrinate me and I get full permission to be as absurd and as feral as I possibly can be.” He let out a dramatic sigh. “Never have I seen a man run as fast as the day my ten-year-old self went to the door in a bloody apron wielding a knife. I can assure you that I had no bodies in the fridge, but he certainly thought so.”</p><p>“I think it’s safe to say that anyone would run at the sight of a homicidal child.”</p><p>“Yes, the media has conditioned us appropriately to be suspicious of children, and they deserve it.”</p><p>They had talked all through lunch. It did not feel awkward, or hostile, and she did not feel forced into it. She would say it was the most relaxed she had ever felt in a conversation even against her father. She could say whatever she wanted, and he would swing with it. Sometimes she did not like his opinions and told him so, and he would say the same, but it did not feel like she was wrong for it and he would nod and move on if she was uncomfortable.</p><p>It felt like coming down from a high when the bell ran, and he returned to classes. Her entire face was flushed, her heart beating, and it was with the rush in her chest that she realised that a crush was an understatement, silently whispering ‘oh no’ to herself once she realised this.</p><p>It had been exactly one week, and Maverick talked to her often. Not so much that he ignored others, but he had taken to saying hello to her often. Her and Sakura. She found herself bristling at that, burying the sour feeling in her stomach. Buried it with every other bitter feeling in her chest, pretending that she was not jealous when his gleaming eyes were focused on other people. She was not jealous, Maverick was new to school and making friends, and goodness he was quick and exceptionally good at making friends. He had a way of charming people, and she was as trapped as everyone else.</p><p>She hated the ugly feeling when she saw him go into his shoe locker and see the letters there. Letters that were becoming more and more common. She hated her little frowns when he would read every single one of them, when he would get out a pen and start writing replies. Who did that? She had never heard of it and she would have thought it sweet. She should have. Instead she wanted to tear them to pieces and throw them in the bin. What was wrong with her?</p><p>Her heart would beat faster and faster, and a harsh voice would tell her to catch him before he slipped away, and that voice was determined to believe that he would slip away. It ate away at her and she would almost cry so often from the sheer weight of the emotions. She hated it and found herself praying with more and more aggression that the dreaded pain leave her chest. She also prayed that Maverick would pay attention to her instead. It was a concerning thing, but she knew that if she told her father, or any of the churchgoers, they would tell him, and he would do something drastic. After all, he was very protective of her.</p><p>And so, her sour feeling continued for another three days until she forced herself to sit by her desk in her bedroom. She had picked out her favourite stationary, taken her best pen, and spent the entire night trying to write a confession. She had no experience in such things. Everything felt like too much and too little at the exact same time, going mad trying to express herself in such a manner that he would not pity her but would not dismiss her either.</p><p>In the end, she wrote four words:</p><p>I love you -Yui.</p><p>It did not feel like enough, but the sun was rising, and it was too late to try anything else. She put it in an envelope, put that in her school bag, and pretended that she was not sneaking behind her father’s back until she reached the school lockers.</p><p>Maverick’s shoes were not in his locker, and no letters were there. She decided that she would slip it into his desk later on, putting on her indoor shoes and marching to the classroom with a silent determination in her stride.</p><p>She was confused. Someone unfamiliar was sitting in Maverick’s seat. The teacher read the register and his name was no longer in it. She had dared herself to ask if Maverick had transferred out already. The teacher, as she was moving, gave her a strange look:</p><p>“We never had a student called Maverick Wilder.” The confusion in her eyes was genuine. Yui felt that sour sensation in her stomach, the bitter voice telling her that he had slipped away. She was terrified of the implication. People did not simply cease to exist, but when the teacher asked if she needed to see the nurse, she pretended that she was fine, and she must have been mistaken.</p><p>Two things happened since that day. Beyond the discomfort of Maverick simply no longer existing, she overheard rumours of seven men being killed on that day, the news reporting them as human traffickers, and saw something she could only describe as… odd.</p><p>At first, it did not seem odd. The café was mostly abandoned, only two others sitting at the booth of the front of the shop. One was an aged man, hunched over with time, the other was a woman in a McDonalds uniform ordering espresso after espresso. Yui only saw her from an angle so could not see her face clearly but saw that she had long brown hair tied into a comfortable braid down her back.</p><p>She recognised the voice, strangely. It sounded neither distinctly male nor female and was perfectly level in its distinct meanness. The woman was watching the tv which was showing the news. She had been criticising the murder of a few days ago quite thoroughly, entirely uncaring to the stares she was receiving.</p><p>When a politician appeared on the news, she let out a sharp snort. Yui recognised the politician as Tougo Sakamaki, or something similar. Thinking on it, Maverick had a strong dislike of Tougo as well. He had a list, specifically, emphasising how. The woman had a similar dislike. Yui leaned to the side slightly, trying to have a look at the woman.</p><p>The features were not as sharp as they were on Maverick, but she could see the sharp jawline and cheekbones; the angled eyes that were a vibrant, terrifying blue. Maverick’s eyes.</p><p>‘They could be related!’ She thought suddenly, willing herself upwards to confront the woman.</p><p>The woman stopped her argument almost immediately, much to the relief of the folk around her, head turning slowly to stare directly at Yui. With the eyes focused entirely on her, she knew for certain that this woman was related to Maverick. There was no way that two foreigners with such identical eyes could not be related.</p><p>“U-uhm…” She stumbled over her words. The woman had a haunted look about her. The same lazy smile, dimples, faint freckles under the eyes. The same spell that had snagged her at the sight of Maverick had taken hold of her here. “D-do you know a Maverick Wilder?”</p><p>“Mayhaps.” The woman responded in a sly manner, a manner identical to Maverick when he had a secret he was not telling anyone to see how they would react when it happened. “And you are Yui Komori.”</p><p>“D-DI-did he talk about me?”</p><p>“He didn’t talk about you.” She did not know what she meant by this. “So how can I assist you?”</p><p>“What happened to Maverick?”</p><p>“<em>Nothing</em> happened to Maverick.” She opened her mouth to protest but felt something off in the statement. Nothing happened to Maverick. She emphasised the nothing. Why? “Do you have a message?”</p><p>She hesitated, thinking on the letter still sitting in her school bag. The school bag she was holding. Her fingers twisted. She wanted to give it to him directly.</p><p>“Can I talk to him?”</p><p>“I should hope so seeing as you have a tongue.” She flustered, wanting to scold the older woman. “He will arrive as the situation calls for it, but, and I will certainly get in trouble for this if anyone has the nerve to listen which they certainly will, I have some information for you if you want to continue down this metaphorical rabbit hole.”</p><p>It felt strange. In the same way that Maverick’s presence felt obscure, the woman’s presence felt forced. As though forcibly crammed into an unfamiliar story to rearrange the plot.</p><p>“Now, I’m not supposed to be here, I am breaking all of the rules of my company being here and may get in a lot of trouble. I say may, though the answer is ‘definitely’ if I get caught.” The sly gleam in her eyes suggested that she did not feel any remorse for breaking the supposed rules. “I’m keeping it on the low by making it seem like I’m fixing things, but by speaking to you directly about this I’m treading on eggshells. My suggestion is stay alert. I don’t know when it will happen, but your father will be in Europe some time this year for an unknown reason, leaving you to stay with family that you do not know, only to find that they are not family and that your life is in extreme danger.”</p><p>The woman was talking madness. It froze Yui to her core and she opened her mouth to protest again when the woman covered her mouth, and Yui was vaguely aware of the fact that the old man and the barista was gone. There was no one around but them, and she wondered when the others had left and where they were.</p><p>“I suggest getting yourself accommodation before this happens. If you must be in the same city that is fine, but do not stay with these folk for they will torment you and break you and all for their pleasure, and at the will of their father who is very eager to cause you harm. He’s got a rather revolting pet project and I’m feeling exceptionally sassy towards him.” She nodded, wondering if she could bite the hand and free herself. She noticed the woman’s right eye twitched slightly. The same way Maverick’s did when he was irritable.</p><p>The woman released her mouth after a moment, wiping her hand with a napkin. In that moment, the barista returned, and the old man came out of the toilet. Yui found it obscure in the same way she found the woman odd.</p><p>“And how do you know this?” She dared to ask. A cold smirk appeared on her face.</p><p>“Once upon a time, I was in the exact same situation as you, with my father selling me off to that group for the exact same reason. I managed to plan my escape but was recaptured at eighteen. I suggest you make peace with your god, whatever he is.”</p><p>Yui watched the woman for a moment longer. She had a distinct feeling that she could not fully grasp. More than a feeling that she was Maverick, which she was sure of, it felt like she knew this woman directly. Like they had met before. Her heart started to beat with a vicious enthusiasm. Who was this?</p><p>“What’s your name?”</p><p>“You can call me Hope.” She did not say it was her exact name. That was what her mind told her. “You don’t have to worry; I am not a danger to you. This will be the most difficult time in your life, but I’ll persistently ensure that you get a happy ending out of it.”</p><p>She could see the woman grin and knew in an instant that it was Maverick’s smile. Yui could not tell if Maverick was Hope’s crossdress, or if it was the reverse, staring with a silent wonder. She floundered, trying to reach her letter in her bag. She had to look down and take it from the very bottom, delight lighting up her eyes when she pulled it out to hand to Hope.</p><p>When she looked up, Hope was gone along with her drink.</p><p>Yui felt a chill up her spine. Was Hope ever there?</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. The Devil is in the Details</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Yui is faced with the terror of her situation.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Yui wished she could say that she kept track of time but tried as she might she found herself struggling on the matter. In her brief moments of clarity, she would try to go to the library and research away from her father’s gaze. A gaze which she once thought loving but now thought oppressive and found it entirely disturbing then how often he would go through her computer and her search history. She had never had a diary, but she was certain now that if she did, he would have gone through that too under the illusion of her not needing to hide from him.</p><p>It was only with the disturbed commentary of Hope that she was suddenly, and terrifyingly, aware of the wrongness of her situation. Could only talk to people her father talked to, could only use her phone with specific people, she could only go to certain places and she had a limited time outside even when she did get out. He would know if she had spent money on things, he deemed frivolous and she found that now, deeply unsettling. It was as though someone had removed the wool from over her eyes and in these moments of clarity, she was terrified.</p><p>She was just as terrified when the moments of clarity faded. When she started to slip away, drifting like a ghost, she wondered with a silent dread whether she was being drugged or if she had missed something entirely. Yui needed to get out, and Hope’s warning rang constant in her head; she just wished she had some sort of strength to fight back.</p><p>Something was binding her to sluggishness, to continuing the mundane, and try as she might to fight it those moments were becoming rarer and rarer.</p><p>The school year ended, and it was a sluggish day of monotonous conversations and classes that she could not remember. Faces were a blur and she could remember no details until dinner time when she was making dinner and the world became sharper.</p><p>The colours were vibrant, clear, and she could identify the smell of dinner, the sterile state of the kitchen, and knew she was having a moment of clarity. She could do nothing with it, though, because she was serving dinner and her father would be suspicious and it was past curfew. She was ladling out the curry when her eyes lingered on the cleaning products.</p><p>It was a disturbed, vicious thought. That a small amount of bleach was deadly enough, she thought. She put the thought aside, horrified that she would think it. She had not a single violent body in her bone and had never thought such cruel things before. She forced herself to look away, avoiding looking at her father when she set the plate in front of him, fearful that he would see her wicked thoughts if she looked at him.</p><p>“Are you alright, dear?” No, she wanted to say, she was sick and scared and wanted to tear his eyes out. She cleared her throat.</p><p>“I might be feeling a bit sickly.” She mumbled, finding she could barely eat the food; it felt like sawdust in her mouth though she was not losing clarity; in fact the world was seemingly growing brighter. More alive, too many noises and smells. She could feel her heart jumping out of her chest.</p><p>“Ah, best rest tomorrow then. You’ll need it for Sunday.” She tilted her head at that, she could not recall anything unusual that would be happening at church that Sunday. Her father likely saw her confusion; he saw everything. “I have an emergency trip with another church in Italy for a couple of months, so you’re going to be staying with some relatives until then.”</p><p>Someone slammed on the brakes of her life, jolting her into sickening alertness. She knew why she had regained awareness then, paralysed briefly by the statement.</p><p>“W-what?” She stumbled out, choking on the single word.</p><p>“Oh, don’t worry, he’s got some kids same age as you, you won’t be too bored.” Hope’s warning played repeatedly in her head. That she would be imprisoned, that she was sold, that she would be tortured, that she would be broken. That her father had turned his back on her, and that he had always planned something so utterly horrible. She could not tell if she wanted to pass out or scream.</p><p>“O-oh, I’ll need to pack my bags now then. In case I’m too ill tomorrow.”</p><p>“You won’t need too much.” She would not need too much because she would not be living.</p><p>She did not cry, though she desperately wanted to, as she cleaned the dishes. Her father worked until late, so she was just as quiet in packing. Shaky hands, she had to cover her mouth multiple times to stop the choking sound from seeping out. These were thin walls. He would hear and ask her, and he would be suspicious. He would know.</p><p>So, she packed her bag and tried not to break down as she did so. She was not packing it to go to their house. She had no plan; she did not have time to come up with a plan. She packed in a set of clothes; the most neutral clothes she could find. It was almost impossible; her father bought her clothes and he only bought soft and feminine clothes. On the rare chance she was allowed to buy her own things, she lingered towards the soft anyhow.</p><p>With enough determination, she fumbled with her school shirt, the green raincoat, and her more known brown boots and black tights. She did not have many long trousers, having preferred dresses in her life. She wondered if there would be any shops open at this hour where she could get herself a cheap pair of jeans. She had 5586.20 yen in her wallet, leftovers from a passing birthday, and knew that if she used her card her father would track it. If she was to get out, she needed that money just as much for a train; if she used a metro card she would also be spotted as it was ordered by her father and the email was in his name.</p><p>She remembered her school gym clothes. The winter clothes were put away due to the heat wave, but the jogging trousers would still work. They would add to her mundane appearance. She needed to look like no one memorable if she were to get far away enough without being brought back. She needed to get somewhere far from family. Would the police help her?</p><p>No. Yui knew that without definitive proof they would assume she was running away from home because she was an upset teenager. She was, but that was not the point. She did not know what to do. The only people she knew were in the church; people that knew her father. If she were going to get help, she would have to get out first.</p><p>She was scratching aggressively at her head as these thoughts ran through her mind, telling her of all the things she needed to do so terrifyingly close to the deadline. She would cry if she could, but she knew just how thin the walls were. She could hear him at work as well. Hear him get up from his chair and towards his wardrobe. In ten minutes, he would be in bed, and would expect her to follow soon after.</p><p>Yui Komori had two days to figure out what to do. In that time, she would need to be far away.</p><p>She had not slept a wink, but it had not been the first time she had spent the entire night worrying over something and she was very good with makeup, looking vibrant as always the next morning when she started to make breakfast. Her mind was spinning, still, but her father was not yet up and she was allowed to let the shaking of her hands happen. She needed to figure out how she was getting to this place. Would her father drop her off on his own, would he call a taxi, would they use public transport? Would she be given the address and be expected to sort herself out?</p><p>“Hey, father, how am I getting to the house tomorrow?” She willed herself to ask, keeping her voice as casual as she could muster. She must have sounded nervous, but Yui was a shy person so sounding nervous was perfectly normal.</p><p>“I’ll have to leave early so I booked a taxi for you. I’ll leave the money on the counter. It’s the exact amount so don’t let the driver try to get any more from you.” She nodded, quietly. He must have thought she was nervous because she was meeting new people. “They’ll love you, dear, don’t worry so much.”</p><p>She wondered if she imagined the strain in his voice, or if he felt some sort of glimmer of regret for what he was doing. She hesitated in speaking:</p><p>“I can’t come with you?” Her voice cracked slightly. She tried to cough to cover it up, but he heard it. In a gesture that would have been kind, he kissed the top of his head.</p><p>“Sorry, dear. This’ll be a great learning experience for you. You’ll be okay.” His words were dead to her. He was throwing her aside. She wanted to scream.</p><p>She did not. She smiled prettily and said she would do her best.</p><p>Yui had finished packing her bag that day, though it was a small thing. She had a set of clothes along with a first aid kit. She had brought along her hygiene products, some snacks from the stash her father had never found, a flashlight, and some extra batteries. She knew it was not enough, but she had never been allowed to go camping and if too many things were added, or missing questions would be asked. The clothes in the bag were a set she would wear ordinarily because she suspected her father would look through it while she was at the café.</p><p>It was the same café she had seen the woman at. She hoped to see her again, to get some sort of information, but instead she was alone with her hands clenched firmly together trying desperately not to have a mental breakdown in public. It would be nothing short of embarrassing and she did not want word getting back to her father. It was careless to spend money on coffee trying to think of what to do. She did not know how to survive the outside world; never had it been so blatantly obvious, and by the time she remembered she had a cup in front of her the café was crowded and she was on the brink of wailing openly in her booth.</p><p>“You look as bad as I feel.” She did scream then, a sharp yelp and sudden withdrawal from the table as the figure laughed in a particularly manic way.</p><p>She knew the laugh, having heard it once before. Maverick or Hope, it was hard to say as the voice was always the same.</p><p>Yui saw the boy in front of her. He looked younger than her, perhaps the same height, with a youthful, fresh face with only the slightest indication of the jaw and cheeks that would appear there in later years. A smile too wide even when closed and eyes just slightly too wide; always a touch threatening when looking at what was in front of them. Those manic eyes were focused entirely on her, hands folded neatly on the table and head tilted ever so slightly as he watched her.</p><p>“H-Mav-,”</p><p>“I’m thinking Wild will do it for now.” He said in the voice that was all of their voices, that seemed more natural for his slightly too young body. She noticed he was dressed in a suit this time. It was slightly baggy, just a touch too large, as though he had been bigger when he put it on. “What’s a man got to do to get a decent coffee around here?” He said in his mean manner, just as the waitress came to him.</p><p>“Hello dear, are you wanting another coffee?”</p><p>“O-oh yes please.” She nodded, not expecting the waitress to come back. Normally, they were called.</p><p>“And uh… do you want a milkshake or something?” The waitress asked, glancing oddly at Wild who had appeared in his too-large suit with his too-large smile.</p><p>“Coffee. Black.” The waitress stared oddly but looked away when Wild grinned with all his teeth showing. A mockery of a grin. A friendly snarl was how she preferred to call it. It was more accurate. If the waitress had anything more to say, she dismissed it and went to put away their order.</p><p>Things were always slightly out of place when Wild was present. She knew that you had to call the waitress to get them to serve you, that the café had been crowded when she was alone, but it was getting quieter then. That the glass seemed dark and the reflections noticeably clear. Faces were less present. As though it were nothing but a poorly printed video game, and the irrelevant details were brushed aside. She wondered if she was the main character, then, if Wild was so deeply involved. She did not let such disturbed thoughts linger in her mind too long; they would only terrify her more.</p><p>“How did you know what my father was-,” He raised a finger.</p><p>“First of all, he isn’t your father. I mean- biologically.”</p><p>“Wait wh-,”</p><p>“Secondly, it’s because you’re not the first. I mean, you’re the first one that your father has put on this project, normally he just does nothing, but it’s all run through the same church. Get a child, raise them docile and isolated from a young age, then put them into the project for however long it takes for them to die and put the new one in. The last one died two days ago, hung herself from the rafters. She had been in there two weeks.”</p><p>Their coffees arrived, cutting awkwardly into Wild’s story. She would not have registered it had Wild not immediately downed half of the scalding drink.</p><p>“Now, the folk in charge have been told to not kill you, but if you’re a spoiled brat that always gets what they want with little consequence, naturally you do what you want anyway.” He said it as though it were nothing. “And you’re not going to be able to get out on your own. Trust me, I thought I was in the clear for many years. I can’t remember if it was eight or ten years, but either way I was still moving even then. I was always looking over my shoulder and the moment I let my guard down I was fucked, but I was doing it alone and I had no blueprint beyond move. Judging by your lack of planning, you probably have the same idea: get on a train then another train and hope your money lasts until you can get somewhere you think is safe, right?”</p><p>“I… don’t think I have enough to get very far. I can’t even get out of the country; I don’t have a passport.”</p><p>“Yeah, I thought he would do that which was why I left early. Cut off all communication, limit where they can go. I had stolen all the money from his bank, got on several trains, then slipped onto a cruise ship to the mainland and just hitchhiked where I could until I was caught again. Part of me suspects that if I had killed those two agents and flown to America, I might have finally lost them. Ah well, that ship’s sailed. Instead, I’m going to help you. Even if you do get caught, I’m going to make it <em>very</em> hard to ignore me.”</p><p>“What- what do you suggest I do?”</p><p>“Well, I’m sure your father has some sort of taxi sorted out for you to go on alone, right?” Yui did not have the energy to question how Wild knew such things. Wild knew a lot of things and she had not brought a notebook for all the answers. “That requires money, wait until he has left, take the money, wait until he’s gone, then do something about your hair and get on a train. Do not go to any ports as that was the same thing I tried, and they will likely immediately try to track you down once they catch wind of you escaping. The mansion is some three hours away from where you live, so you have three hours to move. I suggest a train going somewhere less known. I’d say north where you can cover up and there won’t be any questions.”</p><p>Wild seemed to pause, thinking further. Yui was already thinking of where she could go. Sendai was one and a half hours away, and that was already quite a distance. She could get as far as Aomori in that time, but the issue was money. It was always money. She was not even sure if she had enough money to get a ticket all the way to Sendai. If she remembered her maps, and she was very good at geography, then there was a small scattering of islands steadily leading to the mainland from the tip of Japan. But Wild had said they would look for her if she went to the ports. They would know, just like how her father would know. Her foot began to tap nervously against the tiled floor, wishing she had some sort of idea on what to do.</p><p>“If I buy anything my father will notice. I can’t hide my hair or anything- I need that money to get out.”</p><p>Wild smiled in his feral manner, slapping a box on the table. She jolted, seeing that it was a dark blue. It was hair dye for a plain brunette colour. The same brown as Wild. She was not sure if it was his natural hair colour, but seeing as he changed shapes so often, she had no idea of what he actually looked like even though the foundation stayed the same.</p><p>“Thought of you when I was out today and thought something more mundane would help. Same with these.” He reached from under the table and pulled out a bag that crinkled awkwardly on the table. A touch too loud. She hesitated in looking inside but was relieved to see it was just clothes. A tight knit grey and black sweater, and some baggy dark jeans cut just above the ankles. There was a navy jacket with a hood included. There was also a pair of bulky glasses with a slight shade; they would hide her most noticeable feature. “I suggest giving your hair a good hack before you get out of there.”</p><p>“T-thank you.”</p><p>“Don’t thank me until you’re out.”</p><p>This time, she saw Wild leave. She saw him stand up, saw him turn into the booth directly behind her, and when she moved to see what he was doing he was simply gone. The window was open, but far too narrow for him to slip through. She still told herself that was how he got out.</p><p>Yui was friendly when she was home, kissed her father on his cold cheek, and made an effort in dinner. She did not sleep that night either, the bag hidden under her pillow underneath her head, eyes watching the door until the day started.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hope you all enjoyed this chapter. The real Yui is much less prepared than the OC, and of course much more attached to the belief that her father has to care for her. The clash in those thoughts will come again.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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